Strawberries and chocolate
by chercolfer
Summary: Alternate Meeting Klaine. Kurt and Blaine are married for 20 years and Kurt decides that he wants to tell his childeren about their life story togehter.


"Kids I'm going to tell the story of how your father and I got where we are.

It started all on a baking show we both competed in. It was a big hit back in our time. It stopped a few years ago.

**It was the first episode that we met**

I started mixing the ingredients when somebody raced passed me with a tray of what seemed like hardening chocolate. I could barely step out of the way. He brushed passed me when walking back and stopped just next to me. Believe me there was enough place for him to not stand as close as he was standing at that moment.

"There was a freezer right there" he then said pointing to a freezer next to his workbench. He had a very British accent. 1 that I didn't have.

"I don't mind you passing here every now and then" I said. Till the day of today I still don't know what overcame me because I was not that comfortable with him standing so close. I didn't mind he did look very fit. But I wasn't comfortable with him just yet.

It didn't matter that I word vomited that sentence because your father looked very smug at me almost a little pleased. "Kurt is it right?" He asked. I nodded not that sure of myself now he was checking me out like that. "Yes. Nice to meet you..?" I had never got his name.

"Blaine, Blaine Anderson. I hope that you're a good baker" he said walking to his own counter which is next to my own. I stared after him for another 2 minutes before the judges started their rounds and I baked through.

**It was the 4th episode that we had to form pairs. **

"For this test you'll have to make 20 different cupcakes with different flavours and icing. You'll have 2 hours for that." Mel-She was one of the presenters-said looking at all of us standing in half a circle.

"Of course doing that alone is a little heavy. So you have to do this in pairs. A good baker has to be able to work in a team." She continued.

Everyone was starting to form pairs and I was already asking your aunt Martha if she wanted to work with me when that guy, you guys know him as your father, who had been very friendly towards me for the last few weeks, tapped on my shoulder.

"Kurt Hummel. I would be very honoured if you would consider me as your baking partner." He said, very smooth. Like he picked up guys every day. Which at that time I believed he did

I turned around to look at your aunt Martha. She looked at us like it was a play she was watching. "Actually, Martha asked me first" he said. You father looked at the situation with a cool face. Like he wasn't even bothered at all. "Um, Kurt. It's okay. I'll help Louise. You shouldn't deny an offer from him." She whispered the last part and she walked away so I looked at your dad.

"Guess we'll have to work together" I said. He nodded and told me that he was very honoured.

We could work very good together. Everything I was a bit less good in, he could do in his sleep and vice versa. I knew that he must be good because he won the star baker title the week prior but I didn't expect him to be as creative and inventive like he was. We didn't have to fight against time which is a good sign and I think that when the judges tasted our creation I even saw them smile.

It was that week that we both got the star baker title. I know that it's because of my strawberries cupcakes with chocolate icing but your father denies it and believes it were his cinnamon cupcakes. At least I know that I'm right.

**It was in the 7th episode that your father got send home.**

He got voted out of the competition and we had kind of became something in between friends and something more. That was mostly because your dad had a very flirty nature. Although he only had it when he was around me. At least that is what he told me. Every few minutes in a conversation your father slipped in something that would make me blush or just feel better.

I was a little sad that I would not see my new made friend again the next weeks. Everyone was wrapping up for the day and your father was saying goodbye to everyone.

I stayed behind a little. Making sure my counter was clean before leaving it. Your father didn't leave my side tough. He was carrying a bag with his own stuff and hooked his arm through mine.

"You know Kurt Hummel. You think I might be a sad man now but actually I'm very happy" another thing that he does. Saying my full name with so much passion that I wouldn't recognise it if it wasn't mine.

Although he had a nice way of talking. He was not making any sense in that moment. Lucky for me he decided to explain himself.

"I was looking around me 10 minutes ago and I thought about all the things I've learned and all the nice people I met because of this everything and also I realised that if 1 of us had to go it was me." We reached the car park where our cars were parked next to each other.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I don't even have a British nationality." I said putting my stuff in the back of my car. I saw that your aunt Martha, who I was giving a lift home, was walking our way.

"You've been living here for so long though and part of your family is British. I'm not being hard you know. I know where I stand now and what I can do to improve my skills." Your father said. He has always been a realist and I liked that about him.

There was a short pause and your aunt, who was still only 17 at time and the youngest person to win the show, was now standing next to me. "Although I'm very happy that I've come so far. Still. I'll have to miss my favourite person in the world now." Your father said. It made me blush and I felt like I lost my ability to speak.

"I'll wait in the car" Martha then said walking around the car so she could sit in the passenger seat.

I let go of a sigh and hugged your dad very tight. Not planning on letting him go. "Your hugs could stop wars" He mumbled before nuzzling his nose in my neck. Your father his hands did go all over my body pressing me closer to him and when he finally stopped they were in my back pockets.

We broke the hug when it started raining a bit later.

"Kurt Hummel. I hope it won't be the last time I see you. It would be nice to get to know you better." He said placing a kiss on my cheek and running to his car.

In half a daze I walked the meter to the door of my car and I watched him leave before I started my own car.

"If you 2 don't have something going on then I don't know how to make a cake" your aunt Martha said. I shook my head.

"He's very nice and I like him a lot. But I can't stop the feeling that he is saying all those sweet thing to another 10 guys too" Kurt said. It was the first time that we had a conversation about him.

"That's how low you think of him?" I didn't know what to say.

I have never thought low about your father. I did think he was a player. It was later that I realised that he wasn't but we'll get there.

"No. But, I am not like him. I have been waiting for something true for a very long time. If I was interested in a quick fuck that would've happened by now. I just don't want him to walk in my life and then leave again" I said. I've had a lot of other boyfriends who had broken my heart before your father came around. I even got engaged when I was 20.

Your aunt Martha laughed at that. "How naïve can you be? He's already in your life. He already has your heart." She said and it was all very clear to me. I called him when I got home.

**It was the day after the 9th episode that we had our first real date. **

We went to a west end show but it's such a long time ago that I don't even know which one it was. I do know that after the show I invited him back to my apartment for a drink.

The thing is that if you drink 1 glass of wine and your company is great. You'll drink another glass. How more wine you drink, how better your company gets.

Long story short. We ended up being so drunk that he fell asleep in my bed that night. Don't get me wrong. We were very innocent. Too drunk to do anything else than sleep.

It was the first time that I heard your father apologize so much. He though that he had slept with me and when I saw him so stressed out for something like that. It's not like I was a virgin. Those times were long over and although I'm not proud of it I have woken up with some random strangers before and I'm sure that he had been in the same situation before.

I knew that it was cute that he was so shocked. It made me feel like what we were doing, that he was taking it as serious as I was.

Although I thought that it was very cute to see him like that I knew that he was very upset and after I explained that we just fell asleep I surprised him with a kiss. That is when I considered your father as what you can say boyfriend material.

**It was the day after the quarter finals that we became officially a thing.**

We were sitting on the pier in Brighton. Because that's where he lived and I had never been there. We were sitting all the way at the end and I had already given up on how my hair looked. I got send off the show the day prior. We were talking about many things. I shared my desire to start my own shop with baked goods and he had supported the idea.

Out of nowhere he had taken my hand. Because although he had a very flirty nature. You father wasn't fond of public affection. Neither was I. But, still I thought it was very cute. If it wasn't so cold we could've sat there for hours. Actually we sat there for hours. But at some point we gave up on the sharing warmth thing and we had no choice but leaving.

We shared a Brussels waffle with Nutella on the way to your father's old house. Then we spend the entire way complaining about how bad it tasted and when we came at his house we made our own Brussels waffles.

It was when I left his house that night that he asked me to be his boyfriend. I felt very real that moment. I said yes and till the day of today don't remember the moment in between saying yes and falling asleep in my bed that night. Which was very dangerous if I think about it.

**It was the week after we opened our own baking shop in the heart of London that he asked me to marry him. **

I was 34 at that time. We were 4 years together at that time. The shop had just opened and there were a lot of costumers waiting in line. It was my shift. Your father and I haven't hired people to help us in the shop till 5 years ago. So back in the beginning we did everything ourselves.

I know something wasn't right when your grandfather Burt entered. I got very suspicious when your aunt Martha entered with a video camera in her hand and when your father entered I knew what was going on.

He zigzagged through the crowd and a few people started complaining. But he didn't care.

"Kurt Hummel" he said jumping over the little doors so he could stand next to me. "I've always been very good at using words to flirts with you and don't think the embarrassing days are over. I will never stop telling you how wonderful you really are. But the thing is. I have always been so free with my words. That I had no idea how to tell you this. How to make you understand how much I really love you. But then again, there are 3 words that I have said too much and 4 that I have never said before." He went on one knee and took a velvet ring box out of his back pocket.

"Kurt Hummel. My amazing friend, my one true love. Will you marry me?" I said yes and pulled him up in only a few seconds. For the first time I didn't care who saw us kissing or not. Because for the first time I know that Blaine Anderson would one day be your father.

**It was the day before our wedding when we came on television again.**

It was on the Alan Carr show and Sue and Mel, the presenters of the bake off, were there too.

"So you guys are engaged. How does that feel?" Alan asked. I was sitting between Blaine and Mel and I felt like Blaine was going to answer most questions.

"Amazing. I found the man of life and I honestly didn't know how good a person could make me feel" Your father said. I could barely stop myself from rolling my eyes. Alan probably thought it was a good enough answer because he just nodded before asking his next question.

"Ever since it got out in the media that there is a bake off couple people started assuming things. I know how horrible that must be for you two. So I'm giving you this opportunity to clear things up. Were you or were you not a couple on the show?" He asked.

"No we were not. Blaine was off the show when we started dating" I said letting your dad play with my fingers.

"When was the first time you spoke to each other? Many have claimed the moment is caught on camera." He said. I saw that your father nod.

"Yes, I rewatch it every now and then. We were standing behind Richard when he was showing the judges what he was making." He explained.

"It was the first challenge and we were all still searching our way in the competition and sort of kitchen we got" I said. Your father nodded and intertwined our hands in his lap now making me have to lean into him a little.

"I took the wrong freezer. Kurt flirted with me and I have to be honest. I'm not that much of a flirt but on that moment I charmed his trousers off." He said.

"He never stopped" I had added. Which is very true because till the day of today he still flirts with me like the day we first met.

"I heard you both started a baking shop." Alan said.

"Yes. We did actually. We were on the show a few years ago and we might not be professionals but we do know how to make a mean cake. It was Kurt who came up with the idea and I loved his way of thinking." Your father said.

"The idea has never left my head but starting a company is not easy. But, I know I like it better than my old job" I said.

"So, Blaine popped the question right?" He asked. We both nodded.

"We know that because there is a certain video that a certain person handed to our channel." Alan said and the video your aunt Martha shot was aired.

While everyone was watching the video your father whispered something in my ear that made me realise that he would be the only person I could love so much.

"You always look so cute with an Apron. But that day. With the flour in your hair. You looked so captivating. Like you know in How I met your mother when there is a room full of people but still the only people they see are each other. I had that feeling. It almost felt like you knew what was going to happen."

"How are you going to do the last names?" Alan Carr asked us.

"Well that was a hard case. Because most of the times I call him by his full name. Well not full. But. Name and surname. So, taking that away would feel very strange. Also combining our names wouldn't work because my name is Anderson and Having to say Kurt Anderson Hummel every time is quite a struggle so we decided to take both his surname" Blaine said. Which you guys already knew because that's your surname too.

"When is the wedding?" He asked. "Tomorrow" your father said. It was kind of a weird moment. Because I realised that we would marry the next day.

"And you don't have a bachelor party to attend?" He asked. We shook our head. We didn't feel like making our friends organise a party when we would spend our attention to each other the whole night anyway. Plus, you aunt Rachel. Who then lived in LA. Her plane would arrive on the day of the wedding and every party I had ever been to was together with her. Also, we were already in our mid-thirties. All our friends had already a husband or wife and kids. They were long over the wedding phase in their lives.

"We can get drunk on our own without friends too" Your father said. At that point I just let him talk. I'm sure I missed a huge chunk of the story.

"Sue and Mel. Would you 2 be okay if they took over the show?" Alan asked.

"Well, we love to do it and I don't think we could stop tasting from the mixtures and leftovers" sue said.

Our part was almost over and Blaine pulled me into his side. They were starting to talk about the new season of the bake off and I looked at Blaine for a few seconds. Tomorrow that guy would be my husband.

**It was 2 years on the day of our wedding when we first met up together with your mother Quinn and decided that she would be you guys mother.**

Your mother had been pregnant when she was 16 and she went to my school when that happened. We only became friends when she came to me for maternity fashion advice. I was known for my good fashion sense. I had also barely came out so we met up after school in a boutique where I knew that she would find clothes that would fit her forming belly.

She looked fabulous. When she learned that I could make her dresses a bit tighter at the chest and arms she would bring me all her new clothes so I could tailor them. That's how we became friends.

When I got engaged to my first fiancé Mathius. When I was 20. She offered us the opportunity that if we wanted children she would be an egg donor. She wasn't going to be surrogate but she knew how much I wanted kids and it was not some kind of taboo between us.

The thing about Mathius is that he turned out to be a total hell to live with. We had been boyfriends since I moved to the uk and we lived a few blocks apart but when we moved in together I found out that the time we didn't spend together. Was actually the time that kept us from breaking up. He didn't want kids and was actually afraid of commitment.

Seriously, every time I called him my fiancé. He almost fainted. I finished that relationship a year of engagement.

When I married your father I messaged her again. She still lived in America but she offered that, if we were ready, she would donate a few eggs.

So 2 years after we got married your mother flew over. We had already contacted a surrogate mother. Sorry sweethearts. We know who they were but they didn't want you guys to know who they was. We had another surrogate both times and that were both very young. Like. Your father is convinced that your surrogate Lucy wasn't even 16. She looked very young. That's true.

Quinn loves you guys both as much and it's almost cute to see that you have her blonde hair Lucy.

I still remember the day we got the call that the egg was growing. I just finished a busy day at the bakery and I had given all the leftovers at the local homeless community. Something I still do these days. I was cleaning the shop and your father had slept all day. So he could prepare everything for the next day. That way we can sleep till about 5.30 am before having to get up. We switch that every 2 days. Getting both up at that hour would be grazy after all.

We were so happy that we danced all through the shop and then outside and we ran down the street and we kissed, a lot. The next day our whole assortment was in pastel colours and we had decorated a little. We were so happy. It was almost crazy.

**12 April 2032 was the day that our first daughter. Lucy Hummel was born**

You have no idea how weird it was to stand there in those surgery gowns with the shoe caps and hair caps. And the blue gloves. Knowing that in a few hours to minutes we would have a child that was ours. We also had no idea who's child it genetically would be. Because our sperm got mixed up. Till the day we still don't know.

Even not from you Tracy because my mother had just the same hair as you and your father have. I remember because when I was little I used to sit in her lap. And pull at her curls. She wore it very long and in a ponytail. One that would lay over her shoulder and chest.

People always assume things and you are as much my daughter as his. I just want you to know that you really can't know who your genetic father is. I hope that you guys never feel the need to know more about your so called past because you know who your real mother is and we are both your fathers. Please don't become a grazy Sophie from mamma mia. Both of you. But then again if one of you would decide to do something as that it would be you Lucy.

Anyway. It took her exactly 20 minutes to get you out. She wasn't really so happy with us. She never even touched you. The doctor pulled her out and your father cut through the umbilical cord and you got laid in my arms.

I was 38 at that moment. The thing about it is that I have always dreamed about having a child. I was three when we got our first cat. Your grandfather Burt always told me that I took care of her like she was my daughter.

35 years later and I was standing there with a new born baby in my arms and my husband was standing behind me. It was your father who had accepted a moistened toilette to clean your face a little. He did it all while he was standing behind me with his arms underneath mine. You saw ghost right? Well, it was kind of like that but I was holding a baby instead of a lump clay.

They took you away after about 5 minutes and then when you were laying in that little bed in the room. We never left your side. Your mother was there for the weekend and we didn't allow a lot of people in the hospital but if you stayed in our arms for 3 hours. You laid in hers for 6. And your niece and cousin were there and she introduced you to them and your niece Eleanor was 16 at the time and I had known her as a moody teenager that never really showed any emotions but she was smiling the whole time.

**It was when Lucy was 2 and Tracy was on the way that we opened our 2nd shop in Brighton**

It was a very hard time for us. We had a child and your father got a bit homesick of Brighton. We got in a few fights and you can't imagine what a child does to you. We owned a bakery. We had to start working at 5.30 am and we stopped working at 9 pm. We have really struggled with finding a routine. After a few weeks we just accepted that we wouldn't have enough sleep.

The thing with not having enough sleep is that you always are a bit more cranky and you walk around a bit less motivated and when something happens you can't really relativize things.

It was when you are 1 year old that we had the heaviest fight we have ever had. I swear I have never felt as bad as that night. It started out about something innocent. I think it was about how we never visited your uncle Cooper anymore. It was really silly. He had called him and he mentioned it and I said that we barely have time for us. How would get there and from there It got ugly. We were both very unreasonable. I'm not saying that he was worse because I was being stupid too.

I can't really remember a lot about that night. What I do remember is that at some point I got scared. Not from your father. He would never use physical violence. I know that. And if he would I would just hit him back as hard as he hit me.

It was the future that scared me. It was somewhere in the middle of the discussion. One that probably even our neighbours remember. He was just everything out and so did I. We were just talking. Hurting each other with words we didn't even knew we had inside of us. Words that had never crossed our minds till that fight.

At some point it was becoming almost therapeutic. Till I kind of started to think about our future together. How we were dealing with some stuff wasn't working. That was clear. I was so scared that I started crying. Your father blamed me. Because in his eyes I was using the tears to seem like the victim. I wasn't the victim that night, neither was he.

After 4 hours of fighting I was so emotionally dreaded that I went to bed. In the middle or something of speech of his I stood up and told him that I couldn't do it anymore. He never came to bed with me that night and I thought that he had slept on the couch.

Turned out that he had driven all the way to Brighton to his brother and he had arrived there around 4 am. It was Friday so our shop was closed but then again. He left me all alone without any explanation.

He stayed away for a whole week. And thank god for your grandfather Burt or I wouldn't even be alive right now. He decided that I needed a week off and Lucy, you lived there for like a week. I still worked from 5.30 till 9 but I had a whole week to sleep the 8.30 hours that I had for myself. Also I spend my breaks together with you though. And the last 2 days before your father returned you stayed with me when I finished working till the shop opened at 6.30 am.

When he finally returned that Thursday night he walked in the shop just after closing time with a cake. He had written 'I'm sorry' on it and it was made of chocolate cheesecake with a strawberry biscuit underneath.

Instead of talking we just both sat down on the floor. He sat in my lap with his head on my shoulder and we just cried for a few hours. It might sound weird but I felt relieved because at least we were crying together.

1 week after that we left on our first holiday as a family to Dunkirk. I was then when I learned that your father his French is so good that even the locals understand him.

When we returned to England a week later. We finally had our heads cleared and our thoughts on a row. Blaine had been in Brighton all week prior and he told me that he wanted to start a second shop with other people that bake there so. It's still our shop. But, other people have our recipes. That way we only have to hop in once a week and he promised to do that every now and then. I thought it was a good idea and a year and a half later we opened our 2nd HuAn shop in Brighton.

It felt like a new beginning for us. Blaine and I had made all the cakes and breads and other baked deliciousness for that day and we had invited a few press people and had a little red carpet going on. It was actually beautiful.

The pictures of that day are pictures that both of you have seen about a million times. It's the one where little Lucy was wearing a little apron and you were sitting on my arm and your father was mixing up the chocolate with the icing.

And that was our concept. We would just do what we do every day. People are used of seeing us bake anyway.

You reached for your dad his arm and he was torn between taking you and letting the icing go for a few seconds. So your dad was standing so close with his arms around us.

It was a beautiful day. once again we didn't know what we were starting but it wasn't really a bad thing. Our 2nd shop was like said before a new beginning and It was awesome.

**It was a month before you were born Tracy that I turned 40**

My friends from all around the world had organized a surprise party. That might sound grazy because all my friends live around London and in England now. Of course where I lived in America I have a few friends that still live there. Your mother also lived there back in the day.

I had just finished a long day at the shop and I was already longing to my bed and sleep when I got a phone call of your dad that I had to rush to a 24 hour diner because he was sitting there with little Lucy and there was something going on with her and he needed me. So I was already going to the tube. I took the metro home and drove my car towards where he was sitting.

I was panicking so much that when I entered the diner I only saw your father sitting with you. Lucy, you were just eating a banana and I ran towards where you sitting. I was ready to rush to the hospital.

I hadn't even noticed that the only people in the dinner was my friends until your father said happy birthday and kissed me. Lucy was a bit older now and she didn't really liked to be carried anymore. Unless you were tired. So when you jumped in my arms I knew that it was a bad sign.

And that kids is the story of the worst surprise party people have ever thrown me.

Seriously. I sat in back corner for 4 hours with a sleeping child. I almost fell asleep 3 times. Your father had a blast that night but, I just kept drinking more and more coffee and the waiter, I think his name was Kenny. He felt so bad for me that he tried to figure out a way to lower the music where I was sitting.

At 2 am I lost it and fell asleep. Your aunt Rachel has filmed that. It was my party everyone was dancing on the table. Having a good time and 2 people were sleeping in the corner. You woke me up half an hour later because you had to go to the toilet and after that I paid the waiter for the coffees I drank. Dragged your father form the furniture and drove us home.

I think that at some point in your life you have to learn that partying all night is not possible anymore. Going out and returning at 8 am is good when you are 20. But at that party there were people with adult children. If they would have seen their parents. They would have been embarrassed.

Also that was the last night that your father ever had to puke because he drank too much. Which is quite impressive.

**It was 28 June 2034 that our second daughter Tracy was born**

Tracy you were turned upside down so you had to be taken out by surgery. We weren't allowed to see you until after the whole thing so the first time we saw you, you were already in the room.

I still remember that your dad was trying to explain to Lucy that she had a little sister. She didn't understand it but still she was acting very mature for a 2 year old.

It was also the first time I saw your niece Beth since she was born back in 2010. She had her own nice baby bump and she looked very happy when she held you in her arms. Also you Lucy. You probably don't remember this but, you worshipped her. It was the first time you 2 met. It was the first time your father met her and I mean. I don't think you really know someone when you see them for like 2 hours when they are new born. But she was like a hero to you. You got almost jealous when she didn't spend time with you.

Lucy, I think you should call Beth and apologize.

I didn't mind getting up in the morning to feed you or change your nappy as much as I did the first time. Your father and I decided to close the bakery the Sunday afternoon too and we spend it as a family together. Since that fight we had back in '32 we have learned to talk more.

If you marry. Don't expect a fairy tale. It isn't. Expect the man or woman - We will be the last to judge if you ever decide that dick isn't your thing. Well we will judge. What is better than penis? – to be someone that makes you happy.

Remember that you're not looking for someone to accept your quirks, you're looking for someone to love them, cherishes them, and loves you more as a person because of them.

Your father is that person for me and it was like he could sense what to do to make me feel better. Still does. I like to think I'm that person for him. It might sound weird to you. But spending a whole afternoon just watching animal planet on the couch together made me feel as happy as we would actually go to London Zoo. Which is actually a while ago. We should do that again.

**It was when your Aunt Rachel's father Hiram died that she came to live with us for a year**

Lucy was 5 and Tracy was 3 when that happened.

Your Aunt has never had a lot of luck in life. I met her around the age of 14. I was a freshman. She was in my drama club and she ruled that drama club. I stayed away from her the first few weeks because she was so intimidating. But then I was friends with your mother and the thing about your Aunt Rachel is that she used to wear horrible clothes and I gave her the worst makeover ever. I mean she looked better but, she didn't look as classy as she did before the makeover.

Her boyfriend at the time. I'm actually not sure who that really was. I think it was Finn. Because your Uncle Finn cornered me that day when she came to school wearing a way too short and revealing black dress.

He was really angry at me for that. But I had a crush on him so I wasn't angry.

She became family when I stayed home from school because the bullying got too bad. It was a few weeks after your grandfather Burt married your nan Carole.

Back in 2010 being who I was wasn't that easy. People didn't understand that I was attracted to boys. They thought that I was a freak and treated me like it. There were a lot of people who didn't care. But there were a few that did and my junior year of high school was a hell.

I stayed home for 5 months. Rachel used to come after school and help me with catch up a few of the classes that we had together. She spend more and more time in our house. Both in mine and Finn's room. Although when she was in my room they had no problem with the door being closed. Something your uncle was very jealous of.

When I say that Rachel was at our house all the time. I'm serious. Her fathers would call her after a few days telling her to come home and 2 days later she was at our place again.

Oh yeah. Rachel also had 2 dads. They were awesome but as much as they wanted to be like some godfathers to me. Because they were gay and so was I. But to me they were just my best friend her parents.

The first day I went back to school they threw me in a dumpster, they cover me in slushies twice and my head bully kissed me. After that he ran away and I got showered with a slushie for the 3th time that day.

I ran home. Not able to drive and I just sat in my shower for an hour. I explained everything when your Grandfather Burt came home and he decided that we couldn't stay in homophobic Ohio and my grandfather who lived in Harlow, a city in the north of London. He had passed away a few months prior. It was my mother's family. So, It was strange with your grandfather who had another wife. But, somehow my family. All my aunts and cousins and nieces and even my grandmother understood who I was and that I wouldn't change. Which was refreshing.

The problem with it was that Rachel had to choose and because she was still underage she had to stay in America. She moved here when she graduated. That was around the time Mathius and I got serious. She never liked him. I know that. You really don't care when you are in love. Rachel missed America more than I did and her dream was New York not London

When she was 20 your Uncle Finn died. I still don't like to talk about it. He was too young. Before he died I always said that my mother died too early. She did. I needed my mum. More than anyone needed Finn. But still Rachel had found the man of her dreams and losing her was hard. She moved back to Lima. She lived there for a year or so and then she felt lost so she came back to me. I was engaged when she came back and I made the mistake of being closed off to a lot of people. Not only my friends and your aunt. Also my family. I was of the idea that once I was engaged I had to start my own life together with that guy. I thought that I had to let everyone go. I didn't realise that my life would have to be a mix of both his family and friends and mine.

Rachel felt very lonely that time and she slept around. I know she did.

When I broke up with Mathius. Rachel and I moved in together in a little shoebox apartment almost on west end.

It was around that time that her father had cancer. Her father LeRoy. I wasn't as worried as Rachel was. My father had had about 2 heart attacks and survived 2 types of cancer at that time. I was sure that he would get the tumour out and everything would be okay.

It wasn't. Only 3 weeks later he died. Even I flew over to Lima for that. I hadn't been there since we moved. I was 23 at that day and although it was nice to see your mother and all my other friends again. I never felt at ease.

The thing that hurt me the most is that Rachel would never take anything serious after that. While I got myself a job at the GQ offices she played in musicals and some pieces on west end. She didn't care where her money came from and everything that I didn't let her play for food and rent she spend at drinking and stuff she never needed.

When I got a new boyfriend she laughed at me and she told him everything about my past. Most of the things she said where 1 big lie. He left me a week after that and that was when I searched my own apartment.

A month after that your Aunt got pregnant of your cousin James. I was 26 then. I felt so back for her that I moved back in. I dealt with a lot of her pregnancy rages. Morning sickness. Midday sickness and evening sickness. I made sure she didn't start smoking and kept her away from alcohol. I went to all her shows to make sure she came home with me and not some other dude.

I did a lot for your Aunt. I got her a job as pregnant model at GQ. After that, when they found out that she was also smart, they offered her a job on the offices just like mine.

When James was born she decided that life wasn't something that you could just throw away so she moved to New York. She got a musical theatre diploma and became an actress.

She moved back to London when she wanted to settle down. Your Aunt will never need a guy anymore. She loves the company and I'm still sure that every now and then she does have company but she also has a son and that is all she needs. James is a wonderful guy.

He moved out when he was 18. Went to the military school in Newcastle. Something about wanting to complete the dream of your uncle Finn. Your uncle his father used to be in the US navy. So Finn went in the British army. After a day he already returned. Shot himself in his leg.

She moved in with us when her father died of a heart attack. She was a big help for us. With 2 children and the 2 baking shops. She did a show on west end for 3 seasons so she could take care of you 2 over the day.

Living with your aunt made me feel like I was 20 again. It felt nice to be in a full house. Especially when James was over. During holidays he also lived in our house and he would love to get up at 6 am and work out. He would wake up togheter with us. Run all the way to the shop. Shower in the local gym where he went like every other day to lift weights and then he would just help us with taking things out of the oven or doing simple things even he could do. He would charm up the costumers. Embarrass me or your father while we were working. He was really fun to have around and your Aunt had the time of her life when he was around. Those 2 had more a brother and sister bond than mother and son.

She moved out when she met her new husband. You all call him Sam. We never got you in the habit of calling him Uncle. But he has been more of a uncle than Finn. I hope you don't blame us for that. Finn was my brother after all.

**It was when Tracy lost her first theet that Grandfather Burt got sick again. **

I still remember because we were celebrating you becoming a bit closer to adulthood with leftovers of cupcakes. We keep them in our house for...moments. I was just taking a bite of mine when I got the call of Your Nan Carole.

She was in panic. He had signs of a heart attack so she had driven to the hospital with him.

Your grandfather had had 4 heart attacks till that day. He also had cancer twice. The last attack he had was the lightest but he would probably have needed surgery again. But he was to stubborn.

When I arrived in the hospital I saw Carole crying in the hallway.

After hugging her very tight she told me to go inside. "I couldn't stay" she said. I had gone inside and he looked actually very decent. I had seen him worse.

"Carole looked upset" I said after hugging him very tight.

"Yeah. Your old man isn't going to outlive you. That's sure" he said. By that point I was confused. I mean it's normal that parents don't outlive their children but why does he mention it like that?

"Dad, is there something you have to tell me?" I asked. I was facing the door and I saw that Your father was standing there with you guys. I made a sign that he shouldn't come inside. He understood and calmed Carole down.

My dad looked at me like he did when he had to tell me something serious. It's a routine we go through. He took my hand and that's when he told that he had a tumour on his heart. It would not be able to be taken away and he wouldn't run after it.

"I don't want you to live at the side of my bed." He started. Your grandfather looked at the closed door before he said the following thing. "Kurt, it is your task to make sure that Carole doesn't lives here either. She left all her family back in the US for our little family. Since she lost her son and when I'm gone I want you to do everything in your power so that she never gets too lonely." He said that like he was dying tomorrow. It took me a lot to not burst out in tears.

I decided to just nod.

That's why your Nan comes over for Sunday dinner and we go to her at least twice a week. Also your aunt Rachel who is still kind of her daughter invites her to a lot of things and James invites her over every now and then too.

It was very weird that night. I didn't cry until I was lying in bed with your father. He was sleeping and I don't think he noticed.

We had sat there in the room and your grandfather had told stories about what he had been through. About himself, about my mother about your uncle Finn, he talked about me a lot. I was his only son and most of the stories I had already heard but there were a few he had never told to save my feelings probably. If you ever want stories about my childhood. Go to your father because I have a feeling that he saved all those stories somewhere in that weird mind of his.

I have been so strong for everyone those weeks. Mostly for your grandfather because I didn't want him to worry anymore. He knew he would die for god's sake. I couldn't let him down then. He has been strong for me for so long. The last I could do was return the favour.

I had to be strong for your Nan because she knew that her husband was going to die and she has seen so many people die in her live. Her first husband died when her son was 3. Her son died when he was 20 and now her 2nd husband was going to die too.

And last I had to be strong for my own family.

...that's you all. But more your father. He could get very protective of me. If he knew how much I really sat with my father dying he would never leave me alone. Also I didn't want you guys to see me cry. I wanted to be there for you 2. You both had never lost someone and we were careful with the information but your grandfather was always very, very honest.

The last few weeks were the hardest. He would tell new stories every time. Stories that used to emotionally drain me. It was 2 weeks before he died when I told him to stop. We were all sitting in the room. All 4 of us. He was telling about how I came out and how he experienced it and he did not spare my feelings. I had to run out when he started about the bullying. I had never thought how he lived that and he played it off like I went through some phase. That was honestly the most horrible time of my life. Actually I'm happy the worst time of my life was when I was still that young. That way whenever something bad happened I could say. But remember, high school was worse.

Anyway. Your grandfather was telling you all how they used to dump slush puppies in my face or empty cups over my head and how I used to come home with bruises from getting pushed into lockers.

I still remember what I said because it's that one thing I wish we could've talked about before he died. He was telling all those horrible things and I stood up and shouted

"I'm sorry that you have a son that has been through all that, he must have been a very weak guy right? I mean who starts complaining about dead threats and sexual assault. I'm very sorry you know. Also don't forget to tell about that time that he got beaten up here in London because he defended someone that was weaker than himself. I heard that you like to tell stories."

I shouted it and ran outside to find that I had nowhere left to go. I didn't want to run. I hated the fact that I felt the need to run. I had so many cropped up feelings and I felt like an emotional time bomb.

Thank god your dad found me there in the lobby. Instead of letting me explode he dissolved me. It was the first time that I cried when he was conscious and he had to call Rachel to pick up you guys.

We spend the whole night talking about it. I talked, he just held me.

**It was on may 23th that your grandfather died**

It was a huge shock to me. From one day on the other I had no parents left. It was over like that. He had died in his sleep.

The funeral was simple. Like my father was. It was a big thing about doing it in church or not. I said that it had to be in a church because although I never believed in god. Your grandfather did. But your nan wanted it to be in a community hall. Because clearly your grandfather had never been to a church since I became an atheist. It was nice to hear that I had such an influence on him.

I'm not going to bore you with that story. You guys were there that day and you have known your grandfather. He wasn't always right. I wasn't always right. That's the thing. Between us this will be the same. I will always listen to you guys but you'll have to remember that what I say won't always be right and you won't always be right.

**It was when you brought home your first boyfriend Lucy that I felt really old.**

Not only because he asked if your father was your grandfather. Okay he is getting a little greyer and my hair is getting thinner but I felt old because. You are my daughter and he was your first serious boyfriend and we were getting old.

I will never say what I thought of him. You were the one to decide if you like him or not. That's how it's going to be with everyone you 2 bring home. Your father and I are 57. We have lived our life. Now it's you guys' turn to life yours.

I do want to talk about that first boyfriend meeting. What you didn't know is that we had planned it all out. Your father and I had thought about all the embarrassing moments you had gone through and what we could mention in a casual conversation. We're not kidding. The day before he came over we had sat in bed with notes and pictures and we even picked out your favourite meal. But, he came in and we saw how he looked at you and how you looked at that guy.

Seriously Lucy I forgot his name. Was it Ben or Louis? I forgot.

Anyway. Your father had made a typical dad joke but I had felt that he also wasn't going to go much further. When we slipped into the kitchen together we both confessed that we would abort the mission.

Don't worry. Once you get engaged to someone we'll tell all the stories. But that day we didn't because we were nervous. That guy was nervous. You Lucy were nervous. We can be fun and we love to laugh together but, we are humans too.

**It was when my youngest daughter Lucy turned 17 that I decided to tell my 2 daughters how I met their father and how our life together progressed over the years.**

I turned 57 last month and I realised that if I ever wanted to do something that I would have to do it now and I realised that we never really told you stories about what happened before you 2 were born or too young to remember. Also things you might have remembered but never saw how we lived it. More how I saw it and your father was just a lucky figurant. I know we forced you to watch how I met your mother together with us. Because, Neil Patrick Harris and also because it is one of the best written show from back in our days.

On the end you meet the mother and she dies in the last episode. That's not how I wanted to tell the story. I wanted to start with the start and I didn't want to end with the start. Believe me if you ever want to know something from the time that I was between 8 and 28 years old. Just ask me. I can talk as long about it as I did now.

But I didn't want to. You know that my past was a harsh. But the only thing that mattered was that at the end it turned out okay.

I met the beautiful British Brighton man who was still named Blaine Anderson back then and he made my life a story that I wanted to tell my kids one day. So no, there won't be a blue French horn and I won't go and chase some old love. This is the story and we'll see when it ends."

My daughters were laying on top of each other with 2 empty pizza boxes and drinks that they took before I started telling. Blaine was still at the shop but he would return in a few minutes.

"Papa. What if you hadn't flirted with dad that day?" Lucy asked. She had such a cockney accent. I love it. I've always had a weak thing for a London accent.

"I like to believe in faith. Maybe if I had taken another bus one day or if I had hurried a bit more and took another train on the tube? Maybe I would've met him sooner? Who will know. The only thing I do know is that I met him that day." I explained

"Who did you meet?" A way too familiar voice said behind me wrapping his arms around my neck kissing the back of my neck while doing so.

"You" I said. Pulling him towards me so he landed in my lap.

"Oh kids... Have I ever told you the story of how I met your father?"


End file.
